Judicial Workload Assessment

Biennial Reports to the Legislature on Judicial Need:

Government Code section 69614(c) requires that the Judicial Council report biennially to the Legislature on the need for new judgeships in the Superior Courts using the uniform criteria for allocation of judgeships described in Government Code section 69614(b).

Judicial Council actions regarding judicial workload assessment:

December 2011: The Judicial Council (the council) approved updated caseweights used to measure judicial need.

October 2008: The council approved the need for the Legislature to create the remaining 50 judgeships identified in the 2007 update to the workload study; approved a new list of 100 additional judges that are needed to meet the demands of continued workload growth in the trial courts; and approved a mandated study to the Legislature reporting on the factually determined need for new judgeships in each superior court.

December 2007: The council approved the allocation methodology for converting 11 subordinate judicial officer (SJO) positions in FY 2007-2008 and 146 SJO positions eligible for conversion in subsequent years.

October 2007 : The council approved seven vacant SJO positions for conversion to judgeships based on the recommendations contained in this report.

February 2007 : The council adopted the criteria for approving trial court requests for changes in the number of authorized SJO positions.

February 2007 : The council approved the updated results of the statewide assessment of judicial needs. The 50 judgeships created by the Legislature in AB 159 were allocated to the trial courts on the basis of the recommendations contained in this report.

August 2004 : The council approved the updated results of the statewide assessment of judicial needs based on more-recent filings data and a minor modification in the assessment methodology. The 50 judgeships created by the Legislature in SB 56 were allocated to the trial courts on the basis of the recommendations contained in this report. SB 56 also adopted the Judicial Workload Assessment methodology approved by the council in this report.

October 2001 : approved the results of the statewide assessment of judicial needs including the ranked list of 150 recommended new judgeships.

August 2001 : The council adopted a set of judicial workload standards that can be used to assess the statewide need for additional judges.